A look back at local sports in 2012

Richard Burkhart/Savannah Morning News Bryan County's Tiffany Howard, pictured with John Smoltz at the Savannah Morning News' second annual Best of Preps awards banquet May 24, had another great year, as she was named Female Athlete of the Year for the second consecutive year. Howard, who graduated in May and is an incoming freshman on the Auburn University softball team, also had her number retired by the school in January.

Corey Dickstein/Bryan County Now Jadon Hollis-Reno, 11, poses with the trophies he won during the 2011-2012 NFL Punt, Pass and Kick competition. The Richmond Hill middle schooler won first place nationally among 10 and 11 year olds.

Corey Dickstein/Bryan County Now Richmond Hill's Aliyah Johnson, who was named Region 2-AAAA Player of the Year and the Savannah Morning News girls basketball Player of the Year, led her team to a region championship victory over Statesboro on Feb. 18.

Courtesy of Brigham Young University athletics Shaquille Walker, a former track standout at Richmond Hill High School won first place in the 800-meter run at the USATF junior nationals in Bloomington In. and then advanced to the semifinals of the world junior track championships in Barcelona, Spain.

With four team region championships, numerous playoff appearances and several individual accomplishments at the state, national and even international level, 2012 was another banner year for sports in Bryan County.

Many local athletes at both Richmond Hill and Bryan County high schools excelled, and some of them signed on to continue their endeavors at the collegiate level. Some of the two schools’ alumni, meanwhile, achieved highly on a bigger stage.

From a four-sport star having her name and number immortalized in school history, to little leaguers going up against some of the state’s best in their own backyard, to a runner’s quest to be the best in the world, to a football team’s long-awaited achievement, this year was filled with great moments.

Here is a list of some of those from the first half of the year. See next week’s issue for July through December highlights.

The dates listed with the recaps indicate the date the story was posted online at bryancountynow.com.

Jan. 5

Two county athletes, coach earn SMN top honors

While Richmond Hill sophomore Amanda Elliott earned her first honor for cross country, Bryan County senior Tiffany Howard was named the Savannah Morning News softball player of the year for the third consecutive season. Howard’s coach Al Butler was named softball coach of the year. The paper announced the honors recently.

Jan. 12

BCHS retires Howard’s softball number

During a ceremony at halftime of the Bryan County boys basketball game against Savannah Christian Tuesday evening, the high school retired the softball number of Tiffany Howard.

Howard, the four-sport star who was named the State’s Class A softball player of the year for a second consecutive year after leading the Lady Redskins into the state’s Final Eight tournament for a third time, smiled as BCHS softball coach Al Butler handed her the framed jersey that will be placed on a wall at the school.

Jan. 19

RHHS kicker places 7th in nation

Richmond Hill High School junior Canon Rooker finished tied for seventh in the Chris Sailer National Kicking Competition in Las Vegas on Sunday. Rooker made it to the final round of 20 out of a field of 215, where he hit seven of eight field goals in the initial round and six of eight in the finals.

Feb. 2

Richmond Hill youth wins national Punt, Pass, Kick competition

Richmond Hill sixth grader Jadon Hollis-Reno, 11, claimed first place nationally in the NFL’s Punt, Pass and Kick competition among 10- and 11-year-olds Jan. 17 in the final at the Baltimore Ravens practice facility in Owings Mills, Md.

In the final — which he reached by winning the first ever Richmond Hill competition and a regional qualifier in Jacksonville — Jadon scored a total of 347 feet 1 inch (122 feet, 2 inches in the passing competition; 118 feet, 1 inch in kicking; and 106 feet 10 inches in punting). Scores are determined by a combination of yardage and accuracy.

Feb. 23

RHHS girls win region hoops title

Senior Aliyah Johnson made her mark early, scoring the first 16 Richmond Hill points and propelling the Wildcats, Class AAAA’s No. 9 ranked team, to a 59-50 win over Statesboro Saturday night. She finished with 26 to help avenge a 30-point loss to Lady Blue Devils earlier in the season. Johnson went on to be named Region Player of the Year.

April 18

RHHS’ Johnson, Bennett SMN Player, Coach of the Year

The Savannah Morning News this week released its lists of the region’s top players during winter sports competitions, and a Richmond Hill athlete and coach were awarded the top honors in girls basketball. Lady Wildcat senior Aliyah Johnson earned SMN’s girls basketball player of the year by leading her team to the Region 2-AAAA title. The team’s coach, Elizabeth Bennett, was named girls basketball coach of the year.

April 22

BCHS girls win region track title

The Bryan County High School girls won their third straight region track championship Thursday at Statesboro High. The Lady Redskins dominated the meet outscoring the second place team, Jenkins County 173-101.

Redskin senior Tiffany Howard was the individual high point winner for girls in the meet with 35 points amassed on three individual titles and being a member of two winning relay teams. Teammate Sierra Newman was second with 31 individual points.

May 10

RHHS girls soccer makes Elite 8

Richmond Hill’s girls soccer players piled on top of goalkeeper Caroline Smith a moment after John’s Creek senior Sophia Crowson’s penalty kick attempt soared over the cross bar. The missed shot secured a penatly kick victory — four goals to three — for the Lady Wildcats (15-5) after they battled the Lady Gladiators (10-7-2) to a 2-2 tie after 80 minutes of regulation play and two five-minute overtime periods Wednesday night in the second round of the state Class AAAA playoffs. The Lady Wildcats will face Union Grove (16-2-1) in the Elite Eight game on Saturday.

May 24

BCHS, RHHS spring athletes honored by SMN

Coaches and athletes from Bryan County High School and Richmond Hill High School drew awards once again when the Savannah Morning News announced in the past week its spring season All-Greater Savannah teams.

Richmond Hill coach Robbie Flanders was named the area’s top boys soccer coach for leading the Wildcats to a 16-4 record and into the second round of the Class AAAA State Tournament. Twelve of the county’s athletes were honored with first team selection for their sports and more were named honorable mention.

May 26

Howard wins SMN Best of Preps Female Athlete of Year again

Tiffany Howard of Bryan County High School was named the 2012 Best of Preps Female athlete of the year for the second consecutive time at the second annual awards banquet held Thursday night at the Savannah International Trade and Convention Center. The guest speaker for the sold-out event was former Atlanta Braves pitcher John Smoltz.

June 6

RHHS alum, basketball standout takes Wildcat hoops reigns

Bill Henderson, a 2005 Richmond Hill High School graduate and former standout on the court, was recently named the school’s head boys basketball coach. He called the opportunity “a dream come true.”

June 20

Former RHHS star Walker wins 800-meter title

Despite an already decorated track-and-field career in the 800-meter run that began his freshman year at Richmond Hill High School, Brigham Young University freshman Shaquille Walker still had something to prove at Saturday’s USATF Junior Championships at Indiana University. And he wasn’t going to let the chance to finally be No. 1 in the nation slip away.

Instead, Walker rose up and ran the strongest race of his career, posting a personal-best time of 1:49.39 to win the final and solidify a spot on Team USA at the IAAF World Junior Championships in Barcelona, Spain July 13-15. Walker emerged victorious by the thinnest of margins in a brutally close race, finishing less than half a second ahead of the fourth-place finisher after recording the second-best time at Friday’s prelims. He would go on to earn a spot in the international semifinals before being eliminated.